Bodies were strewn around the goal-line area at Beaver Stadium on Saturday evening after Braxton Miller's 1-yard touchdown run gave visiting Ohio State a 21-10 lead over Penn State late in the third quarter.

If you listened hard enough, there was a noticeable sound of rushing air. The only question was the derivation of the air, whether it was a sigh from the frustrated Nittany Lions' defense or the wind being sucked out of Penn State's sails by Ohio State's brilliant sophomore quarterback.

Penn State fans and players alike found out what eight other teams found out prior to Saturday night -- you might think you have prepared for Braxton Miller, but until he is there before your eyes, you really don't know.

A week after being scraped off the field with a putty knife, seven days after having his limp and lifeless body carted off the turf of Ohio Stadium and a handful of days after surprisingly being given a clean bill of health to play at Penn State, Miller did what he did best.

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He dazzled.

Miller ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns and completed 7 of 19 passes for 143 yards and a score.

But the statistics don't tell the story.

Miller's "it" factor is what led Ohio State to 35-23 win over Penn State to keep the Buckeyes undefeated at 9-0.

A week after looking woozy and weak, Miller was sharp as a tack. Maybe not with his passing touch, but that's been a work in progress since Miller arrived at OSU from Huber Heights Wayne. His overthrow of Corey "Philly" Brown on a deep route that was a sure-fire touchdown had Miller not air-mailed the throw had to make Coach Urban Meyer cringe and/or bite through his lip.

Miller's sharpness on this night was his decision-making.

The obituary for Penn State's five-game winning streak being snapped should read "death by zone-read," courtesy of executioner Braxton Miller.

Miller made all the right decisions in Happy Valley with the zone-read running plays. When the defensive lineman crashed down to take away Carlos Hyde or Rod Smith, Miller pulled the ball out of their bread-baskets late and took off around the end. When the heat was on Miller off the snap, Hyde and Smith (who combined for 103 yards rushing) got the rock and the yardage -- many of the yards coming off first contact.

Penn State's defense looked confused, frustrated and worn down by the Buckeyes, particularly by Miller who time and time again kept the Nittany Lions' defenders from locking in on what he and the Buckeyes' offense were going to do.

It wasn't any more apparent than the drive late in the third quarter, with OSU leading 14-10, and Penn State hoping to hold the Buckeyes to a field goal.

Off the snap, Hyde was buried by Penn State's Sean Stanley. Miller pulled the ball just in time, but a defensive end was in the backfield, too. No matter. Miller hopped sideways around the lunging defender then dove past another into the end zone for the score.

Minutes later, Miller added another 1-yard run to make it 28-10.

Penn State scored later in the fourth, but the damage had already been done, and the Nittany Lions' winning streak fell victim to Miller.

In Penn State's defense, getting chewed up by Miller isn't all the Nittany Lions' fault.

Really, how does one prepare for a Braxton Miller during practice?

The job description for the guy picked to emulate Miller in practice has got to be strict, if not unattainable.

The player must be not only fast, but also have quick feet. We're talking quicker feet than most. A good arm is nice, but not a must.

The hard part is finding a practice player with the intangibles of Miller. Knowing what the defense is going to do almost before the defense does it. And when the defense adjusts, as it did on the goal-line play when Hyde was blown up behind the line of scrimmage, make the split-second decision to pull the ball and still have the athletic wherewithal to jump-step a defender and slither between a few others with a dive to the end zone.

Seriously, how do you emulate that in practice?

Any team that does have that type of player on their team -- and you best believe they are few -- have them in their starting lineup and not on scout team.

Ohio State is three victories away from a 12-0 season. The road is tough, with a trip to Wisconsin and a home date with Michigan being the most daunting.

Suffice it to say, win or lose, the Buckeyes will go down with guns a'blazin' -- or rather gun a'blazin.'

Their (Number) 5-shooter.

Braxton Miller.

The game-changer who is so hard to prepare for because it is nearly impossible to emulate him in practice, both from a physical standpoint but also from his decision-making in OSU's death-by-zone-read offense.